Tamar Evangelestia-Dougherty Named Director of Smithsonian Libraries and Archives

Tamar Evangelestia-Dougherty Named Director of Smithsonian Libraries and Archives

The Smithsonian Libraries and Archives is pleased to announce Tamar Evangelestia-Dougherty as our new director, effective November 6. An expert in the stewardship, interpretation, and acquisition of collections, Evangelestia-Dougherty brings a rich background driving public outreach and cultivating robust print and digital collections across diverse subject matters.
Tamar Evangelestia-Dougherty, newly appointed Director of Smithsonian Libraries and Archives. (Photo courtesy of Tamar Evangelestia-Dougherty.)
Evangelestia-Dougherty will bring strategic leadership to the recently integrated Smithsonian Libraries and Archives, which is responsible for nearly 3 million library volumes and over 44,000 cubic feet of archival materials chronicling the history of the Smithsonian. She will oversee 137 employees, a national advisory board of 15 members, an annual budget of over $16 million, and 22 library branches and reading rooms located in Washington, D.C., New York City, Maryland, Virginia, and the Republic of Panama.
“The Smithsonian Libraries and Archives organization provides invaluable services that underpin the research, scholarship, and programs of the Smithsonian,” said Lonnie Bunch, the Secretary of the Smithsonian. “Tamar’s expertise and leadership will accelerate our digital presence and help us reach new audiences while continuing to support our world-class scholarship.”
“All work at Smithsonian Libraries and Archives arises from the central purpose of scholarship, intellectual curiosity, and continuous engagement,” Evangelestia-Dougherty said. “As director, I look forward to inspiring our audiences, sustaining the success of our staff, and reflecting the mission of the Smithsonian Institution through my leadership.”
Evangelestia-Dougherty has a proven track record of strengthening collections and digital initiatives. She is currently an associate university librarian at
Cornell University
where she initiated Cornell RAD, a new research hub for rare and distinctive collections. She is also a faculty member of the UCLA California Rare Book School. As director of collections and services at New York Public Library’s Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture from 2013 to 2014, Evangelestia-Dougherty led collection and programmatic development of five curatorial divisions. At the University of Chicago’s Black Metropolis Research Consortium, she served as executive director from 2011 to 2013 and as consulting archivist from 2007 to 2011. There, she successfully led initiatives to discover and make accessible archives related to the African American diaspora. In addition to her extensive work with rare and distinctive collections, Evangelestia-Dougherty is a published author and public speaker who has presented nationally on topics of inclusivity and equity in bibliography, administration, and primary-source literacy. She currently serves on the boar…